Raccoons blamed for illnesses at Wylie big cat sanctuary

Credit: WFAA

Big cats at Wylie's In-Sync Exotics Wildlife Refuge are being treated for symptoms of canine distemper.

WFAA

Posted on June 23, 2013 

Officials at a Wylie animal sanctuary believe a raccoon is to blame for an outbreak of canine distemper among big cats.

In-Sync Exotics says 22 animals — including lions and tigers — are infected with the potentially fatal virus which can infect the central nervous system.

The sanctuary said several of the cats are showing neurological symptoms.

Raccoons live in the area around the sanctuary. In-Sync is asking for monetary donations as well as cleaning supplies.

The cats are vaccinated against feline distemper, not canine distemper. Fifty percent of dogs that contract distemper die from it.

The illness begins with respiratory and digestive problems. As it progresses to the nervous system, infected animals have trouble walking and experience muscle spasms and seizures.
Infected raccoons have also been found in several neighboring Collin County cities, including McKinney and Plano.

In Tarrant County, Arlington has had raccoons test positive for distemper.

source

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Keighley charity launches dog virus campaign

Monday 24th June 2013 in News

 

A Keighley charity is helping to fight a disease, originally spread by domestic dogs, that makes endangered tigers and other big cats lose their fear of humans.

Canine distemper virus (CDV) is a pathogen that threatens some of the rarest feline species across the world, and Wildlife Vets International, based on Parkwood Street, has joined efforts to stop it from decimating the tiger population.

Big cat specialist and co- founder of the charity Dr John Lewis will visit Sumatra to offer advice and help launch a programme to shed new light on the causes.

source
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~